Wandering In No Particular Direction: Day of Reflection and Realization

I awoke this morning in my bed on the porch. I am watching the sunrise from a prone position. I am listening roosters crowing, lovebirds cooing and small birds chirping, as I feel the freshness of a new day. Here is what I saw:

Recently I've been up and walking by this time, but last night Fernanda convinced me to hang around a bit this morning. She reminded me we only have about 8 miles to walk today and she informed us that the Albergue at the next stop, Ponte de Lima, doesn't open until 4pm. That is very unusual. Albergues usually open from 12 to 2pm. She said it is a pretty city in which we can relax and have a picnic by the river. Plus she didn't stamp my credential last night, so I am forced into mindfulness. Oh dear!

Well, I woke up at 5:30 am luxuriating in bed, listening to the joyful sounds greeting the day and watching the sun slowly rise. Then I did my stretches and packed my pack. I went over to the house to see if I could get my credential stamped and was greeted by Fernanda's husband who had a full breakfast laid out. I had yogurt, bread with cream cheese and jam, cheese and cafe. The Spanish family came in for breakfast and I got their picture. They are great. She is outgoing and he is reserved. The kids 11 and 7 are doing the long walks every day too. I watch them with wonder. Amazing kids.

So I was fueled and apparently the caffeine got my brain functioning because as I was walking I started pondering the BIG questions. What's it all about Alfie? Well there was a song on my iPod with the line "I never could resist a winding road.' I could totally identify with that as I was walking on a winding road. The next line though was something like, "Because around the next corner might be the end of the rainbow. " And, I thought, "That isn't it, The end of the rainbow, as it were, is ON the winding road."

This led me to recall all the years I spent chasing people, places, and things. I thought IT was right around the corner, any day now my ship would come in. Needless to say, it is hard to be present with that state of mind. Today as I looked with wonder at the tree, flowers, animals and people around me, I became aware that a major shift had occurred in my consciousness, without my noticing it. That's how change usually happens to me.

But back to the Camino. Today's walk was wonderful. There seems to be a Camino family of sorts forming with the Spanish family, two older couples from Holland and a group of five or so Portuguese young people. It's kind of fun. I love walking alone, but it's nice meeting and talking to a group of people at different times during the day and staying in the same albergues at night. This happens more on the Portuguese because there is often only one Albergue.

I encountered some big flowers today.